“Wurundjeri woiwurrung people are ‘Witchetty Grub People’. Wurun is the Woi-wurrung word for the Manna Gum and djeri is the grub found in or near the tree.”

– Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation

When walking through this Country, immersed within the forest of trees, it is not hard to feel – the sun, the wind, the rain and the connection to Country. Wurundjeri woiwurrung people see darrang (trees) as holders of memory and there are some old growth gorrwun (mountain ash trees) in Sherbrooke Forest that have been here since before the arrival of European colonists. Darrang that have witnessed immense change. Darrang are an essential part of our ecosystem and played a variety of roles in traditional Wurundjeri woiwurrung life, providing wood for wangim (boomerangs), gayaam (shields), wilam (bark/shelter), gurrong (canoes) as well as being markers for significant places.

Birthing trees are only for baggarrook (women) and bubup (babies), while Marker Trees are darrang that had their branches manipulated to grow in certain ways, as wayfinding markers to indicate different types of biik (Country) and spaces.

woiwurrung translations by Wurundjeri woman Brooke Wandin.  

IMAGE:

Narnz

Gunaikurnai/Barkindji/Wurundjeri/Bundjalung people

Culture, 2021

acrylic on canvas

51 x 82 cm

This artwork was created through The Torch, a not-for-profit organisation that provides art, cultural and arts industry support to First Nations people currently in, or recently released, from Victorian prisons.

ARTWORK STORY:

Culture surrounds us, heals us, and connects us. Our roots are deeper and wider than we know. Our culture, our tree of life, keeps branching out, taking us on different journeys but our roots keep us connected. One part represents Victoria, and another part represents New South Wales. If you look at this closely, you can see culture in the branches!